CONTENTS

Prime Minister George Papandreou, addressing his PASOK party's
Parliamentary Group on Tuesday, announced the taking of tough but
necessary measures for the salvation of the economy and the country.
The decisions on specific measures are expected to be taken during
Wednesday's cabinet meeting.

Papandreou described the state of the economy and of the country in
dramatic tones, underlining that it is necessary for tough measures to
be taken so that "we shall not experience the nightmare of bankruptcy"
since, as he said, "creditors are not giving us time".

The prime minister appealed to "Hellenism in its entirety to contribute
to the effort for the country's salvation and at the same time for the
foundations to be laid for the new Greece that we deserve."

He strongly criticised the main opposition New Democracy (ND) party and
the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA), the two parties that requested the
postponement of Tuesday's discussion at the Parliamentary plenum on the
stability and growth programme, that they had called for.

Papandreou further said that things have reached their limits and on a
daily basis "we are struggling with time," while stressing the "danger
of Greece going out to ask for a loan and finding the doors closed."

He also said that he spoke with sincerity on what will happen if the
decisisons that must be taken are not taken and if the government hides
and behaves irresponsibly as others have done in the past.

In this case, he stressed, not only will the 14th and 13th salary be
placed in danger but even more so, the pensions as well. "It might
appear nightmarish but this is the truth," he pointed out.

The prime minister stressed that the government "is waging a struggle
for those who doubt to be convinced that the country has taken its
decisions and that it is in a position to implement them and that it
can exit from the crisis."

Papandreou went on to say that the decisions which the government will
take "are also expected with interest by Europe which is also in danger
and for this reason the responsibility that Greece has is historic."

The decisions that shall be taken, he added, "are imperative and will
constitute the beginning of a new start for the country." He underlined
that the government "is obliged to struggle for the economy's salvation
and for all the burdens not to fall on the backs of the wage earners
and the pensioners."

"I shall not allow the employees and the pensioners to be left to carry
the burdens while those who became rich on their backs to drink to the
health of the dupe," Papandreou concluded.

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leader Antonis Samaras
strongly attacked Prime Minister George Papandrou on Tuesday evening,
while responding to the latter's address to the ruling PASOK
parliamentary group meeting earlier in the day.

Samaras accused the premier of an "arrogant appearance, which troubles
the entire Greek people". The ND leader also charged that the prime
minister "just before announcing new hard measures and visiting
important foreign leaders, decided to demolish the internal front, to
acquit for ever PASOK and to slander the ND regarding everything bad."

"The prime minister's point of view to impose on the main opposition
party the timing for the exercising of the parliamentary control on
him, is outrageous," Samaras said, adding that Papandreou "cannot
accuse us because we do not accept a parliamentary debate on measures
which he has not yet taken."

"Fortunately enough, we have not embarked on a parliamentary debate
thus saving ourselves from the well-known poem by the prime minister
that for yesterday's evils others are to blame, for today's evils the
speculators are to blame and for tomorrow we wait and see," Samaras
concluded.

(ANA-MPA) -- Petty corruption in Greece amounted to roughly 790 million
euros last year, according to the results of the National Survey on
Corruption in Greece for 2009, released on Tuesday. The survey was
conducted by the Public Issue S.A. polling firm on behalf of
Transparency International-Greece, and concerned so-called social
corruption, focusing on low-level forms of corruption.